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Increase temperature in government buildings

I work at the Department of Education and no matter what time of year it is my colleagues and I are almost always uncomfortably cold in our building. I assume that there are probably people in other agencies who experience the same problem. People have brought in sweaters, jackets, space heaters, and blankets to try to keep warm in our meat locker of an office. Last summer (2010), when the "Energy Curtailment Plan" was implemented to save energy on some of the hottest days of the year, employees received an email stating that the interior temperature would be increased from 74 to 76 degrees as an energy-saving mechanism. My colleagues and I were quite surprised, as it has never been anywhere close to 74 degrees in our building.

Especially in the summer, it must cost the government a great deal to keep the building so cold. In addition, the ubiquitous space heaters that employees use to try to counter the chill cost the government still more in energy expenses. I propose that we cut the government's energy costs, promote the health of the planet, and improve employee morale by raising the temperature in the Department of Education's LBJ building and any other government agency buildings that are currently kept below 74-76 degrees.